Magazine pencil



Dec. 12, 1933. L. E. MELENDEZ 1,939,566

MAGAZINE PENCIL Original Filed Jan. 11, 1932 Gttomeg Patented Dec. 12,1933 PATENT orrlcr.

1,939,566 MAGAZINE PENCIL Leandro E. Melendez, New York, N. Y.

I Application 4 Claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in magazine pencils'of thetype designed to house a plurality of leads of different or the samecolors and to be conveniently operated to 5 project into writingposition any selected lead.

It has been heretofore proposed in pencils of this type to provide aplural lead container, the lead channels of which may be selectivelyarranged with regard to an opening in a disk in 1 the pencil barrel todischarge a particular lead into writing position, the lead containerbeing terminally formed with a series of projections to engage inaseries of notches inthe upper end of the pencil barrel to lock thecontainer in any selected position, while permitting free rotation ofthe container for lead selection by endwise movement of the containerrelative to the barrel. This type of construction involves the provisionof specific locking means for thelead container on such container and inthe barrel, with the result that the external appearance of the pencilis detracted from, liability of breakage or wear of the locking parts isat all times present, and the additional cost of such construction addsto the initial cost of production.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a leadcontainer'mounted for endwise and rotative movementto arrange a selectedlead channel in linewith a lead guide into which the selected lead maybe delivered for gravital transfer to the writing point of the pencilthe lead container being locked with 're-' spect to theguide in selectedposition through the mediumof a projection on the guide foooperatingwith the end of one of the lead channels; whereby the'locking means iswholly concealed, completely protected from breakage, does not detractfrom the appearance of the pencil,

and is of such simplicity as to materially reduce the initial cost ofproduction as compared with the; type of pencil previously identified.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereim-Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved pencil.Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lead contamer. v

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the guide. Figure 4 is a'transverseenlarged sectional view showing the cooperation of the guide andcontainer. t V

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of pencil.

Figure 6 is abrok'en perspective of the guide.

January 11, 1932, Serial No. 586,025 Renewed ,May 9, 1933 "Figure 7 is abroken perspective of the lead container.

In the preferred form, the improved magazine pencil comprises abarrel 1of conventional pencil outline terminating in lead clamping jaws 2 at 6the writing point and the conventional clamping member 3 through whichthe lead extends for writing purposes, with theclamping member havingthreaded connection with the barrel to clamp the'jaws onto thelead forholding thelatter in 5 rigid relation to the pencil for Writing; Withinthe barrel, at a point intermediate the ends there,- of, issecured alead guide 4, this'guide corresponding in length tothe length of thelead; though obviously capable of reduction in length 7 so long as itpreserves the lead guiding function. The guide is formed with alongitudinally ranging channel .5 having a diameter slightly exceedingthat of the leads to be used, with the channel at the upper end of theguide of a" radial depth from the periphery of the guide slightlyexceeding that of thelead; From the upper end, the channel is ofgradually increased depth until at the lower end the bottom of thechannel is substantially at the axial'point of the guide. 0

Thus, the lead channelextends downwardly and inwardly toward the centerof the barrel lengthwise of the guide; 7 Q Q y 1 .Mounted in the upperend of, the barrel is'a lead container 6, comprising a body having anexternal diameter snugly fitted within the upper end of the barrel,while permittingcomparatively free longitudinal and .rotative movementof the container; The container body is formed with an, annular series:of longitudinally ranging lead receiving channels 7, these channelsextending throughout the full length of thebody. The con-' tainer body 6is terminally provided with an ornamental sleeve or'cap piece8, theexterior diameter of which corresponds to that of the 5 barrel, and thelower edge 9 of which is designed to bear upon the upperi'edge of thebarrel and complete the continuation of the barrel in pencil formation;This'cap piece serves to receive and. H holdthe' usual pencil retainingelement 10 if 6 such isusedi V H The upper end of thelead guide isprovided, in,

a position ofiset from the channel 5, with a locking and centering pin11. This pin' has a diameter corresponding tothe diameter of the channel7 of 65 the container and is so located with respect to the channel 5thatwhen the end of the pin 11 is engagedin the lower end of one of thelead channels 7 of the container, another of such channels 7 will be inabsolute and perfect alignment guide.

In this form of construction, the leads to be used, which while moreparticularly are preferably of different colors may be of thesame'color,or in any selected variation. With the lower end of the lead containerresting on the upper end of the lead guide, which is the normal positionof the parts, the locking pin 11 will be disposed in one of the channels7, and another of such channels will be in alignment with the channel 5of the lead guide. The lead of such aligned channel of the container maythus be moved by gravity, by positioning the pencil in an uprightrelation, through the channel 5 between the clamping jaws 7, and whenpermitted to project to a writing position through the clamping member3, the latter is tightened on the lead and the pencil is ready forwriting. When desired to change the lead, particularly for the selectionof another color, for example, the clamping member 3 is released, thepencil inverted, and the lead returned to the magazine, the upper endof'thelead moving into the lower end of the channel 5 while guided inthe clamping members 2, to thus insure the return of the lead. That. isto say, the relation of the lower end of the channel of the guide issuch that'the lead is ordinarily held within the lower end of thechannel while L in writing position so that certainty of lead return isinsured. If the lead has been used to an extent to. carry the upper endbeyond the lower end of the guide, the lead may still be returned byproper manipulation, though under these circum' stances the lead isordinarily so short that it may be discarded through the writing end ofthe pencil.

7 If the lead used at the particular moment is to. be returned to'thecontainer, and a lead of a different color or of another type selected,the pencil is inverted and the used lead will obviously be returned toits proper lead channel 7. The container is now moved longitudinallywith respect to the barrel by a slight pull on the cap piece 8. Thismovement is sufiicient to'disengage the locking pin 11 and the leadchannel with selected is in a channel aligned with the channel 5 of thelead guide, and of course under these circumstancesan adjacent channel'7 is in line with the pin 11. The container is returned to normalposition, whereupon the pin 11 enters the lower 'end of one of the leadchannels and the container and guide are locked against relativerotative movement, with the selected channel 7 in line with the guidechannel 5. If the rotative adjustment of the container relative to theguide is not absolutely accurate, the container will not seat againstthe guide and this fact will be evident by the failure of the cap pieceto engage the upper end of the barrel. Under these circumstances, thecontainer may be moved slightly in one direction or the other until thepin 11 enters the end of the channel '7, whereupon the container may bemoved into contact with the guide and absolute accurate alignment of thelead channel '7 with the guide channel 5 insured. The pencil is thenwith the upper end of the channel 5 of the lead turned into the uprightposition and the selected lead gravitates to the writing point for useas described.

In the modified form, the relative positions of the guide channel andlead container are reversed. In this form, the barrel 13 is providedimmediately above the writing end of the pencil, which writing end hasthe usual clamping jaws and clamping member, with a lead container 14having lead channels 15 in an annular peripheral series, the containerin this instance being also formed with a central or axial opening 16. Alead guide 17 is mounted in the upper end of the pencil for rotative andlongitudinal movement, the upper end of the guide being provided with acap piece 18 which cooperates with the upper end of the barrel tocomplete the pencil appearance and to provide means by which the leadguide may be operated.

The lead guide in this form of construction is provided withlongitudinally ranging guide channel 19 having a radial depth exceedingthe radius' of the guide, or in other words when the guide is inalignment with the container the bottom of the guide is beyond thecenter of the axial openr ing 16 of the container. In this form, thelooking pin 20 similar to the pin 11 of the preferred form, is carriedby the lower end of the guide and arranged for locking cooperation withany one of the lead channels 15 of the container 14.

The barrel 13 is preferably sufiiciently transparent torender visiblethe leads in the channels 15 and also to render visible the lower end ofthe guide 17. In the use of the pencil, the lead guide is movedlongitudinally by manipu-. 3,1!) lation of the cap piece to remove thepin 20 from the lead channel 15 with which it cooperates. The' leadguide is then rotated within the barrel until the guide channel 19 is inline with the selected lead, following which the guide is returned tonormal position, causing the pin 20- to interlock in the end of anadjacent lead channel 15 and thus absolutely insure the alignment of theselected lead channel 15 and the guide channel 19. Following thislocking co operation, the pencil is inverted, the lead from the selectedv lead channel 15 is delivered by-gravity into the guide channel 19, andon moving the pencil to a substantially horizontal position this leadreaches the bottom of the guide channel 19' and is thus positioned inline with the axial opening 16 of the container. On turning the pencilin an upright position, the selected lead moves through the axialopening 16 of the con-. tainer into Writing position.

While preferring that the lead at the operative end of the pencil may besecured in any desired manner,.it is preferred that the clamping jaws beformed as the split terminals of a sleeve 21 having a diametercorresponding to:the axial openings 16 of the lead container 14 of themodified form or corresponding to the opening at the lower end of theguide channel 5 of the guide 4 of the preferredform Thus thelead in allpositions is maintained in alignment with the channels 5 and 16 of therespectiveforms for convenient return to the container when desired.Under these circumstances, the clamping member 3 may, as indicatedat21a, have threaded cooperation with the exterior of the sleeve 21, orof a thickened portion thereof, for'clamping adjustment, the clampingmember overlying'and cooperating with a' reduced portion of the barrelto complete the pencil appearance.

In both forms of the invention, it is to be particularly noted that thelocking means by which the selected lead channel may be so aligned withthe guide channel as to insure absolute accuracy for convenient andunobstructed lead delivery involves merely the use of a locking pincarried by the lead guide, and that advantage is taken of the leadchannels of the container as a cooperating locking element. Thus, thelocking means between the container and guide, one of which at leastmust be arranged for longitudinal and rotative movement, is entirelywithin the barrel of the pencil and avoids any marring of the appearanceof the pencil or any interference with desired. ornamentation of theexterior of the pencil; is arranged to avoid any possibility of breakageor marring; and is reduced to extreme simplicity to insure minimum costas to this detail in production. Furthermore, this locking meansutilizes as an element one of the lead carrying channels of thecontainer, and thus so long as these channels are properly formed,absolute certainty of aligned relation between the selected lead channelof the container and that of the guide is insured.

I claim:-

1. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead container'in the barreland formed with a plurality of lead receiving channels, a lead guide inthe barrel formed with a lead guide channel, said container and guidebeing arranged in the barrel for relative rotary and longitudinalmovements, with one of said parts fixed with respect to the barrel, andlocking means against rotary movement for maintaining said parts in anyone of a plurality of selected cooperative relations, the lead receivingchannels of the container forming one element of the locking means.

2. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead container in the barreland formed with a plurality of lead receiving channels, a lead guide inthe barrel formed with a lead guide channel, said container and guidebeing arranged in the bar rel for relative rotary and longitudinalmovements, with one of said parts fixed with respect to the barrel, anda locking pin carried by the guide and arranged for selectiveinterlocking with one of the channels of the container to align anotherof said channels of the container with the channel of the guide.

3. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead guide formed with achannel fixed in the barrel, a lead container formed with an annularseries of peripherally disposed lead receiving channels arranged in thebarrel above the lead guide, a cap piece forming a terminal for thebarrel and connected to the container, said container being mounted forlongitudinal and rotative movement in the channel, and a locking pincarried by and projecting above the guideto engage and interlock withone of the channels of the container in the operative relation of theparts, to thereby align another of the channels of the container withthe channel of the lead guide.

4. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead container fixed in thebarrel and formed with a peripheral, annular series of lead receivingchannels, said container being formed with an axial opening, a leadguide mounted in the barrel for. longitudinal and rotary movement abovethe container, said lead guide being formed with a longitudinallyranging channel capable of endwise alignment with any of the channels ofthe container and having a radial dimension to permit alignment with theaxial opening of the container, means whereby the guide may be given alongitudinal and rotative movement with respect to the barrel, and alocking pin projecting from the guide and adapted to cooperate with anyone channel of the container to align a selected channel of thecontainer with the channel of the guide.

LEANDRO E. MELE INDEZ.

